This Day in Games: March 9, 2021
March 9, 2021 was more than just the day Forza Horizon 4 rolled out its seasonal delights in 4K HDR. It coincided with Sony’s State of Play teasing a handful of indie darlings. And on top of that, the bittersweet news that Elden Ring’s beta was still “coming soon.” It also marked the tenth anniversary of the original MotorStorm unveiling. Proof that, believe it or not, we’ve been glorifying off-road carnage for longer than some of today’s “next-gen” rigs have even existed.
Overview of Forza Horizon 4
Dynamic seasons tilt the world’s largest automotive festival on its axis. One moment you’re drifting through autumnal leaf storms. Before you know it, you’re skating across frozen lochs in a souped-up rally car. Whether you go solo, form convoys in online co-op, or drop into the public Shared World. You’ll find that photobombing unsuspecting speedsters has never been so satisfying. And better yet, it all flows seamlessly.
- Release Date: March 9, 2021
- Platforms: Xbox One, Steam, Xbox Series X|S
- Developer: Playground Games
- Genre Tags: Racing, Open World, Multiplayer, Driving Sim, Adventure, Arcade
Narrative & Setting for Forza Horizon 4
Britain like you’ve never seen it. Castles loom over lakes, rolling valleys roar by, and every pub looks suspiciously like a photo opportunity. There’s no traditional story beat here; instead, the “campaign” unfolds as an open-ended string of challenges, PR stunts, and festival hype machines. If you crave plot twists, the biggest one is realizing you’ll never stop collecting cars—quite literally, it never ends.
Gameplay Mechanics
- Seasonal Overhaul
- Every week brings spring rains, summer sun, fall colors, or winter ice. It’s the ultimate weather system, until you crack a tire on a sneaky pothole spawned by the dynamism. That said, it keeps you on your toes in the best way possible—so don’t get too comfortable.
- Car Customization
- Over 450 vehicles span 100+ manufacturers, from hyper-exotics to banger classics. You can tune engines, tweak aerodynamics, or slap on graphics until your ride resembles a gaming PC more than a car—nothing beats expressing yourself on four wheels, and frankly, the options feel endless.
- Open-Ended Campaign
- Progress hides in races, stunts, barn finds, and Horizon Stories—bite-sized narrative vignettes that give the festival a flimsy throughline. Plus, you’ll find that each discovery feels like a small victory in its own right, keeping you coming back for more.
- Shared Online World
- Real players appear seamlessly. When the weather flips, everyone feels the chill at once—until someone trolls by spamming emotes at the finish line. Meanwhile, the sense of community makes every session feel alive, and believe me, those spontaneous encounters are half the fun.
Visuals & Audio
Native 4K with HDR is a feast for the eyes—sunbeams through Golden Gate–caliber bridges, the slick sheen of wet tarmac, and frost glinting off fenders. The soundtrack mixes contemporary hits with classic rock, and each car’s engine note is sampled so meticulously you’ll swear you can smell the gasoline. In addition, the ambient wildlife and crowd reactions add another layer of immersion.
Community Reception for Forza Horizon 4
Steam data shows a 92% “Very Positive” rating from 2,163 recent reviews, and an enduring 90% “Very Positive” across 290,103 total reviews.
Players rave about the seasonal variety that keeps long sessions feeling fresh, the massive and meticulously detailed car roster that offers something for every taste, and the seamless multiplayer integration that delivers drop-in thrills without the hassle of lobbies.
Critiques often orbit around a repetitive event structure that can feel formulaic after marathon play sessions, and some players have taken issue with the seasonal gating that locks certain races behind specific weather cycles. Additionally, occasional server hiccups in crowded Shared Worlds can interrupt the flow, even if only briefly.
Impact & Legacy
Forza Horizon 4 didn’t reinvent driving games—it remodeled them. Its dynamic seasons became the gold standard for environmental systems, and its car roster set a new bar for licensing breadth. Consequently, subsequent racers still chase Playground’s weather-tied gameplay loops like drift kings chasing apexes.
All told, Horizon 4 handles like a dream, looks like a postcard, and sounds like that PVR recording of a live concert. Only without the applause audio glitch. It’s the automotive equivalent of a V8 engine: loud, glorious, and occasionally in need of a service—but oh, how it roars.
